Chester Community Charter School

History and achievements

In 1998, when the school was founded, it had 97 students in the first class, and took up four meeting rooms in the lobby of the Howard Johnson's Hotel on the corner of Chester's Edgemont and Providence Avenues. It grew to few small trailers, then started its own campus, and as of 2009 had expanded to two campuses, with over 2,100 students in state-of-the-art buildings. As the school has grown, it has developed five separate elementary school campuses and two middle school campuses, each with its own principal.

Enrollment in 2006 was 1,727 students Kindergarten-7th grade. In 2010 the enrollment increased to over 2600 pupils The school attracts students from the Philadelphia City School District and multiple Delaware County school districts including: Chester Upland School District, Chichester School District, Garnet Valley School District, Interboro School District, Penn-Delco School District, Ridley School District, Southeast Delco School District, Upper Darby School District, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District and William Penn School District. By Pennsylvania School Code, each school district, that provides transportation for its students; must provide transportation to a charter school, if the charter school lies within 10 miles of the district's attendance borders.

In 2009, more than half of the city students honored by the annual mayoral academic awards came from CCCS. The attendance rate in 2010 and 2011 was 90%.

The school strives to motivate parents to be involved in the school by providing a banquet at the end of the school year, with prizes including vacation packages.

2013 School Performance Profile

Chester Community Charter School achieved a score of 48.9 out of 100. The score reflects on grade level: reading, science, writing and mathematics achievement. In 2012-13, only 29.5% of the students were reading on grade level in grades 3rd through 8th. In 3rd grade, 28% of the pupils were reading on grade level. In math, 34.7% were on grade level (3rd-8th grades). In 4th and 8th grade science, just 28% of the pupils demonstrated on grade level understanding. In writing, only 34% of 5th grade pupils demonstrated on grade level skills. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher.

AYP history

In 2012, Chester Community Charter School was in Warning' status Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), due to missing multiple academic metrics. In 2011 and 2010, the School achieved AYP status as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

PSSAs

Each year, in the Spring, the 3rd graders take the PSSAs in math and reading. The fourth grade is tested in reading, math and science. The fifth grade is evaluated in reading, mathematics and writing. Sixth and seventh grades have been tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999, as a state initiative.

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered beginning 2003 to all Pennsylvania public school students in grades 3rd-8th. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam is given to 4th grades and includes content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies.

8th Grade Reading:

8th Grade Math:

8th Grade Science:

In 2011, the school was on a list of Pennsylvania public schools that had an unusually high rate of erasures that change incorrect answers to correct answers on the annual PSSAs, in 2009.

Technology

CCCS have modern computer labs on each campus. In 2008, the school began providing their 3rd through 8th grade students with laptops (OLPC computers). The school provides students with internet access via a fiber connection, and the two campuses are connected by a high-bandwidth Wide Area Network. The school has received funds through three competitive Enhancing Education Through Technology grant competitions to enhance instruction through greater use of educational technology. Additionally, the school uses eRate funds, from the federal Universal Service Fund, to pay for phone service, Internet service, upgrading of the school's computer system firewall and to maintain the school's computer network.

Special education

In December 2012, Chester Community Charter School administration reported that 697 pupils or 23% of the district's pupils received Special Education services. Forty four percent of the identified pupils have learning disabilities.

In December 2010, the School's administration reported that 642 pupils or 25% of the district's pupils received Special Education services. Forty four percent of the identified pupils have learning disabilities. The school receives state and federal funding for special education services.

In order to comply with state and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rules and regulations, the school district engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive an appropriate educational program consisting of special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. At no cost to the parents, these services are provided in compliance with state and federal law; and are reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress . To identify students who may be eligible for special education services, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include: review of group-based data (cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, report cards, ability and achievement test scores); hearing, vision, motor, and speech/language screening; and review by the Special Education administration. When screening results suggest that the student may be eligible, the District seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents who suspect their child is eligible may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the District or contact the district's Special Education Department. The IDEA 2004 requires each school entity to publish a notice to parents, in newspapers or other media, including the student handbook and website regarding the availability of screening and intervention services and how to access them.

In 2010, the state of Pennsylvania provided $1,026,815,000 for Special Education services. This funding is in addition to the state's basic education per pupil funding, as well as, all other state and federal funding. The Special Education funding structure is through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds and state appropriations. IDEA funds are appropriated to the state on an annual basis and distributed through intermediate units (IUs) to school districts, while state funds are distributed directly to the districts. Total funds that are received by school districts are calculated through a formula. The Pennsylvania Department of Education oversees four appropriations used to fund students with special needs: Special Education; Approved Private Schools; Pennsylvania Chartered Schools for the Deaf and Blind; and Early Intervention. The Pennsylvania Special Education funding system assumes that 16% of the district’s students receive special education services. It also assumes that each student’s needs accrue the same level of costs. Over identification of students, in order to increase state funding, has been an issue in the Commonwealth. Some districts have more than 20% of its students receiving special education services while others have 10% supported through special education. The state requires each public school district and charter school to have a three-year special education plan to meet the unique needs of its special education students. In 2012, the Obama Administration's US Department of Education issued a directive requiring schools include students with disabilities in extracurricular activities, including sports.

Grants

In addition to state funding and local tax funding revenue levied by the school district, Chester Community Charter School seeks grant opportunities to fund programs.

Wellness policy

The Board of Chester Community Charter School established a student wellness policy. The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation (P.L. 108 – 265). The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq) "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006." Most districts identified the superintendent and school foodservice director as responsible for ensuring local wellness policy implementation.

The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

The School offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.

In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of providing the lunch. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandates that Districts raise their full pay lunch prices every year until the price of non-subsidized lunches equals the amount the federal government reimburses schools for free meals. That subsidy in 2013-2014 was $2.93.

In 2014, President Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day. The Food and Drug Administration requires that students take milk as their beverage at lunch. In accordance with this law, any student requesting water in place of milk with their lunch must present a written request, signed by a doctor, documenting the need for water instead of milk.

Chester Community Charter School provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. Nurses are available in each building to conduct annual health screenings (data reported to the PDE and state Department of Health) and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health’s extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.

Conflicts

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Education sends the state per pupil funding, for the students attending a charter school, to the school district where the student resides. The district officials are expected to forward the state share of per pupil spending to the charter school on a timely basis throughout the school year. Chester Upland School District has withheld the state funding from Chester Community Charter School. In 2012, Chester Community Charter School sought a preliminary injunction ordering payment of $3.8 million in delinquent funds either from the district or the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania denied Chester Community Charter School the injunction. According to a state report, the district owes the charter school over $7 million in 2012. Today, the CUSD and the Commonwealth of PA owe the charter school nearly $10 million.

On January 18, 2012, in a 4-to-1 decision, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania affirmed a trial court's Order that declared illegal and unenforceable the Chester Upland School District's attempt to impose enrollment caps on charter schools in the School District. The Chester Upland School District Empowerment Board of Control had appealed an order of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas which found that the Empowerment Board did not have the authority under the Education Empowerment Act 2 to place limits on the number of its students that could attend charter schools. In 2006, the school's Board had approved the increase of Chester Community Charter School's enrollment from 1,980-students to 3,005 by 2010.

Extracurriculars

The School offers a variety of clubs, activities and a sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). Chester Community Charter School offers middle school level Boys basketball in PIAA District 1.

According to Pennsylvania’s Safety in Youth Sports Act, all sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching.